Heirloom Registry Brings New Life to Family Histories with #NoMoreStuff

Previously Published to TalentZoo’s Digital Pivot

A social campaign with the hashtag “NoMoreStuff” has taken off to introduce families to a new concept that will keep the bloodline flowing proud long after this holiday season. In an attempt to provide an alternative for holiday shoppers, Heirloom Registry has kicked off a fourth leg of a campaign that completely challenges Black Friday shoppers using the hashtag “WhiteFriday.” The goal is to pass along family spirit, as opposed to commercialized products with no meaning and that may even be returned the day after Christmas.

This alternative encourages families to bond over family history on the “day after,” instead of rushing out into dangerous environments to buy more “stuff.” A service from Houstory is a record of a family’s heirlooms with stories being documented through the easy-to-use Web portal.

Families will be able to inexpensively upload and document the story of family heirlooms, tag them for discovery, and share their amazing histories with extended family and friends. This site allows users to download and print heirloom documentation for their personal records or to keep directly with the heirloom itself.

“Instead of waking up earlier and earlier on Friday, battling the traffic and fighting the crowds for more stuff, what if you gave White Friday (#WhiteFriday) a try instead?” asks Mike Hiestand, Founder of Heirloom Registry.

He continues, “We’ve run our campaign to encourage people to re-think the relationship they have with the objects and things that surround them before they head out shopping for things they may not really need or even truly want.”

Hiestand hopes this campaign will attract supporters, who will preserve their history. It is his joyful wish that a new family would create an heirloom document for every hour of the campaign — all 840 of them. Actually, he’s looking quite forward to seeing uploaded photos of family histories and artifacts.

With efforts to have families share their stories across social media platforms, Heirloom Registry is encouraging users to tag their family histories with #NoMoreStuff and #WhiteFriday.

With the site opened in 2012, this year actually marks the official launch. The #NoMoreStuff campaign runs between November 27 and December 31.

In the essence of #WhiteFriday, the team at Heirloom Registry asks families to sleep in for a leisurely day with out-of-town guests and immediate family members. They also encourage brunching while looking at family heirlooms and telling the old stories of their travels.

“Maybe it’s an old family clock. …or, a table that’s hosted family gatherings …or a treasured family photo,” states Hiestand. “You write down their stories. Here’s what I promise: You will learn something memorable you didn’t know before, you will smile; and in years to come, you will appreciate this simple gift more than almost anything else you could buy at 4 a.m.

The important thing is that you do it. All too often, the stories of our family heirlooms usually disappear with our family members. And, an heirloom without a story is — as we say — just more stuff!’

Taking our heirlooms to digital is one way to preserve them in all their glory. You never know when disaster will strike. You never know when an accident will happen. So often it’s the case that even heirlooms treated with the utmost delicacy eventually face tragedy. And so often, there is no way to get it back.

Hiestand is creating your online family museum, and he’s created a tradition, not just another thing to do.